Cook the beef on a grill, medium rare or to your preferred doneness. Hold for a few minutes to allow the juices to settle and become re-absorbed by the meat.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and cook shallots over medium heat in a covered sauté pan until translucent. Add the spinach and arugula and toss over high heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to plate.

Slice the beef and place atop the spinach-arugula mixture. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with shaved aged parmesan. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Yield: 40 bite sized portions

Here is a wonderful way to prepare pork. Slow-cooked with roasted peppers (my favorite is to use Jimmy Nardello’s Italian frying peppers, but even red bells will do a great job). The cumin blends beautifully with Syrah, but still works well with lots of other wines. The pork drippings, wine and pepper create a beautiful sauce.

Pork:

4-5 pound pork shoulder, boneless

1 each red bell peppers, fire roasted on the grill, chopped

1/2 each yellow onion, chopped

1 each carrot, peeled and sliced thinly

1 cup Syrah or Pinot Noir

6 each garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

2 sprigs rosemary, fresh

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 cup olive oil

To taste salt and pepper

Method:

Ask your butcher to remove the bones from the pork shoulder and to tie (or “net”) it as a roast.

Combine all the ingredients and marinate the pork “open” overnight (if you are able to remove the net) by placing it in a baking dish. Turn it a few times during the day.

The next day, place it back in the net, or leave it “as is” if you’ve left it tied.

Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees. Place the pork with the marinade in a baking dish. Cover the pork and roast in oven for 2 hours. Remove the cover and turn the temperature to 300 degrees and continue to cook until very tender (1 hour). The liquid should be almost evaporated by then. If needed, add a small amount of water so that it is not completely dry at the base. The pork should turn golden brown.

Remove the pork from the oven, allow to cool and “pull” the meat apart into chunks. Place the meat in a mixing bowl. Strain the pan drippings, pressing the veggies through the strainer as much as possible. Remove the excess fat from the drippings, pour over the meat and toss the two together. Cover and chill for use any time in the next few days.

The serve, warm & crisp the polenta and place some warm pulled pork on top. Drizzle with a touch of the pan juices.

Polenta:

This recipe makes a firm, yet very soft polenta.

1 Tablespoon Butter

1/4 each yellow onion, minced

3 cups water

1 cup milk

1 cup polenta, instant

½ cup Reggiano Parmesan

2 Tablespoons Butter

To taste kosher salt and white pepper

1Tablespoon Extra virgin Olive oil

Directions

In medium heavy bottom pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sweat until soft but not brown

Add milk and water and bring to boil. Add a small amount of salt to give the water a very slight salty taste. Whisk in the polenta. Lower heat and cook stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about 10 – 20 minutes until the polenta is cooked. You can tell when it is cooked by tasting. It should still have a very bit of a firmness to the texture. Remove from heat and add Parmesan, olive oil and the rest of the butter. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Pour into a buttered baking dish so that the mixture is ½ to ¾” high. Allow to cool and place in the refrigerator overnight to firm up. Cut any shape you’d like, remove from the baking dish and set them on a buttered or oiled baking sheet.

When ready to serve, place in a hot oven, under the broiler or on the grill to warm and crisp the outside.

This is a wonderful winter dish that can be served with any big red wine. I like to remove the bones, roll the short ribs and tie it with a piece of string before cooking. This gives it a nice presentation. It is just as good and quicker to cook with the bones in. Either way, I am sure you’ll enjoy this dish on a cool winter night.

Braised and stews are best served the following day. The flavors have a chance to blend and the meat has a chance to rest. I time allows, I roll and tie the short ribs, then braised them and let them sit overnight in the braising liquid. The next day, I make my sauce from the braising liquid and re-warm the beef.

2.5 pounds Beef short ribs, bones removed

2 Tablespoons Canola oil

to taste salt and pepper

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter, salted

1/2 cup leeks, cleaned and chopped

6 each large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1/2 each medium carrot, peeled and sliced

1 each large portabella mushroom, gills removed & sliced

1/2 cup cabernet sauvignon

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

8 each thyme sprigs

12 each nicoise olives, pits removed, left in large pieces

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place oil in medium-sized cast iron skillet or sauté pan. Warm the pan over a medium flame Season the beef with salt and pepper. When they oil is hot add the short ribs and sear them so they are brown on all sides. This should take about 8 minutes.

Lower the heat and remove the beef. Add olive oil and the butter, then add the leeks, garlic, carrots and mushrooms. Add a pinch of salt, stir and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, until the leeks and mushrooms have softened.

Add the wine and turn the heat to medium-high. Reduce the wine by half, add the chicken broth, balsamic and thyme. Simmer and return the beef to the pan. Cover and place in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove the pan and cover, and add the olives to the skillet. Cover again and cook for another 20-30 minutes until the beef is very tender. By this time, the “sauce” should be very flavorful and there should be about 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of the skillet. Taste the sauce and season if needed with little additional salt, but be careful not to add too much.

If you have the time, let it cool then refrigerate overnight. The next day, you can remove any fat that has come to the surface of the sauce. Remove the beef, warm the sauce, and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Sear one side of the beef if you like and then rewarm the beef in the sauce.

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix thoroughly all ingredients. Pour the marinade over the beef and refrigerate, covered, overnight. Heat a pan large enough to accommodate the beef over a high flame. Add the olive oil and heat until almost smoking. Sear the beef a minute or two on both sides. Transfer beef to a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes. Slice tri-tip across the grain as thinly as possible on a bias. Arrange the beef on a serving platter with the Cabernet Wine Caramelized Onions.

Cabernet Wine Caramelized Onions

4 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups red wine

1/4 cup sugar

1 bay leaf

pinch salt

In a heavy bottomed sauce pot place the onions, red wine, sugar and bay leafs. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes. On a medium high flame. Uncover and continue cooking for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Onions may be served room temperature.

I first made this sauce when I owned my restaurant Prospect Park in Santa Rosa. The cinnamon in the wine reminded me of the dish I had served 15 years ago. I’ve added the currants and toasted almonds to add some sweetness and richness to the sauce. With the addition of the mushrooms, you have salt, sweet, and acid working together to balance the food and wine.

2 1/4 pounds heirloom tomatoes (purple), peeled, and cut into wedges

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, Saigon

1 teaspoon Olive oil, extra virgin

1 teaspoon Butter

2 Tablespoons yellow onion, minced

1/2 cup Pinot Noir

2 each Bay leaf

1 Tablespoon Currants

1 Tablespoon Almonds, toasted, and thinly sliced

1 pound lamb sirloin, cleaned of all fat and sinew

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Salt the tomatoes and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid in the tomatoes and discard. Place the tomatoes in a sauté pan, sprinkle with cinnamon and toss. Place sauté pan with tomatoes in the oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put olive oil and butter in a small sauté pan and place over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add onions and cook until the onions are soft and fully cooked. Add Pinot Noir to the onions, turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the wine is reduced to 1/4 of it’s original volume. Add bay leaves to the sauté pan, remove the tomatoes form the oven and add them as well. Crush in the pan with the side of a fork until the texture is that of roughly chopped tomatoes. Cover and simmer over very low heat for an additional 10 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure the sauce is not too thick. If it is, add a touch of water and simmer again. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the currants, re-cover and continue to simmer. Add sea salt until you like the taste. This sauce can be made a day ahead.

Season the lamb sirloins with salt and pepper, rub with a bit of olive oil and sear in a sauté pan over medium-high heat on all sides. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees, and cook for approximately 10-12 minutes until the lamb is medium-rare.

To serve, spoon sauce on the plate, top with sliced lamb, then sprinkle the lamb with coarse sea salt, then sliced almonds, and serve immediately.

This recipe is based on the ancient grain called “farro” that has been used in Italy since Roman times. It is imported from Umbria and Abruzzo. In the US, it is called “spelt”. Farro has a wonderful earthy flavor, a great texture and is simple to cook. It’s a great alternative to pasta or rice.

I’ve created this dish to pair with the Paradise Ridge Rockpile Cabernet 2002. The coffee and sea salt help to balance the tannins of the wine with the mushrooms and cherries. This can be served as a room temperature luncheon or as a warm dinner. It is delicious, rustic and very nutritious. The farro in this recipes makes enough for 6, so you’re assured of extra for a quick lunch the next day!

The beef can be served warm or room temperature for this dish, as can the farro. If you prefer the beef to be served warm, start the farro first, then cook the beef while the farro in cooking. You can easily reheat the farro in the oven before serving.

Ask your butcher to trim the beef and remove all the outside fat, and to cut it into pieces, with the grain, that are 1” thick. At home, place the beef on a cutting board between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with the smooth side of a mallet until it is ¾” thick. This will help tenderize the meat.

Remove the top layer of plastic, and season the top side of the meat evenly with 1/2 teaspoon of ground coffee, 4 grinds of a peppermill and enough sea salt (medium coarse from a grinder). Turn the meat and do the same to the other side.

Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Place the canola oil in the pan, then place the seasoned beef into the cold sauté pan. Place a grill press on top of the beef and cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until the bottom of the beef is nicely seared. Remove the press, turn the beef, replace the press and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the beef is medium-rare, approximately 4-5 minutes more.

Remove the press and place the beef on a platter to rest.

The Farro

Place a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and the whole garlic cloves. Cook slowly for 5-7 minutes, turning the garlic a few times during the cooking so they are golden brown on all sides.

Add the onions, ½ teaspoon of salt and 8 grinds of black pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add the carrots and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Then, add the mushrooms, thyme and oregano. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the mushrooms and carrots are cooked.

Meanwhile, place the salted water in a medium sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil. Add the farro and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for approximately 20-25 minutes, until the farro is cooked. It is ready when it has a consistent dense texture (al dente: it still has a “bite” to it) throughout without tasting hard or raw in the center.

Drain the farro into a colander and then place in a mixing bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and mix gently. Add the vegetable mixture, dried cherries and chopped parsley to the farro and mix. Add additional coarse sea salt and ground pepper to taste.

To Serve

Place a handful of arugula on each of 4 plates, top with a cup of the farro. Slice the beef into 20 nice slices and place 5 slices on each plate. Sprinkle with the diced white cheddar, and drizzle the beef, farro and arugula with the remaining olive oil. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs.

Serve with a small bowl of coarse sea salt for your guests to sprinkle as needed.

Duck confit is one of my favorite foods and I’ve been making it the same way for 20 years. I have always felt it was too much work to make at home, but we make 50-100 legs at a time at Park Avenue Catering. So, I take a few home now and then.

Then came the moment of enlightenment! My friend Sue was telling me how she cooks duck legs in a crock pot and all of a sudden I realized how brilliant and easy it would be to make confit at home.

Confit is “preserved” by salting it and storing covered in it’s own rendered fat (which you discard as you re-warm or crisp it). I use duck confit on it’s own, served warm with a tomato and olive oil salad. I use it in pastas, or as a filling for raviolis, and in soups. There are endless uses for flavorful duck confit.

And when it comes to wine, it pairs well with many wines due to its richness and slight saltiness. Of course, it depends on what you serve with it, but I could easily recommend Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Chianti, Beaujolais, Red Rioja, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Bordeaux, even full-bodied sparkling wines.

Salt rub:

2 teaspoons Juniper Berries

1 Tablespoon Bay Leaf, crushed

2 Tablespoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Thyme

2 teaspoons Black Pepper, Ground

2 Tablespoons Herbs de Provence

2 Tablespoons Oregano

Combine herbs and salt and grind together.

12 each duck legs

Toss the legs with the salt rub. Place in a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Rinse the legs to remove the excess salt and pat dry. Place legs in crock pot, packed tightly. Pour in 1/4 cup of water and turn on to low setting. Let cook covered on low for 8 hours. By the time it is done, the legs will be simmering, covered in the rendered duck fat. A few legs might float on top and that is OK.

Turn off the crock pot and gently remove each leg with a slotted spoon, being careful not to break the skin. Place all legs in a glass baking dish in one layer, then pour the rendered fat over the legs. Allow to cool and then refrigerate until you are ready to use.

To use the confit, remove one leg at a time and carefully wipe off as much of the fat as you can. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven to render off the rest of the fat and to crisp the skin. This will take 20-30 minutes.

If you just want to use the meat, you can render it in the oven for 10 minutes and then remove the skin and bones and use the meat in pasta or what ever other recipe you choose.

Pomegranates have a wonderful balance of sweetness and acidity. You can purchase pomegranate molasses in many markets, but I prefer to make my own. The bitterness of the walnuts, the richness of the cream and risotto help keep the tannins in balance. The walnut sauce in great for grilled chicken.

3 each duck confit legs

1/2 pound Trumpet Royale Mushrooms

3 cups Cabernet-Leek Risotto

1/4 cup Pomegranate Glaze

3 Tablespoons Walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

1/2 cup Walnut Sauce

Directions

Duck confit is a wonderful addition to many dishes: pastas, casseroles, soups and even salads. It is made by first salting and seasoning them overnight, then removing the excess salt and slowly cooking the legs in their own fat (4 hours or more). What you end up with is a tender, flavorful and rich duck leg. We make this at Park Avenue Catering Company, but I recommend you purchase it at your local gourmet market.

Remove the skin from the duck legs and scrape off any excess fat. Place them on a baking pan in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Any extra fat will end of melting off the duck leg. Pour off the excess fat from the pan. Cut large trumpet royale (or any other mushroom of your choice) in half, toss with a bit of salt and a small touch of the duck fat. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the duck legs and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Warm the risotto in the molds at the same time.

To serve, drizzle some room temperature pomegranate glaze on large dinner plate. Un-mold the risotto onto the plate (see photo). Pull the duck meat off the bones (it will come off in nice, neat sections) and place on top of the risotto. Sprinkle with toasted, chopped walnuts. Garnish with trumpet royale mushrooms and serve with a small bowl of warm walnut sauce.

In a medium sauce pan, place butter, olive oil and leeks and set over a medium flame. Add a touch of salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for 3-5 minutes until the leeks are soft and cooked. Add the rice, stir to coat, and then add the Cabernet. Simmer until the cabernet has been absorbed into the rice and the pan is almost dry. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and allow to simmer. Stir with a wooden spoon. In about 5 minutes, the chicken broth will also have been almost fully absorbed. Add 1/4 cup of broth and 1/4 cup of water and repeat the above process. Once this has been absorbed, add the rest of the water and stir gently until the rice is cooked. Risotto should have just a little bite to it when done, and should be a bit “soupy” as well. Cook the risotto until it is done to your liking, adding a little extra water if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Pomegranate Glaze

3 cups Pomegranate Juice (you can buy this at the market)

Directions

Place in a heavy duty, small sauce pan and place over a medium flame. Allow to reduce slowly until the juice starts to thicken. You will end up with about a 1/2 cup. Pour into a small bowl. This will last refrigerated indefinitely and can be used as an ingredient in many dishes. It adds some sweetness that is beautifully balanced with acid.

Walnut Sauce

2 teaspoons butter, unsalted

2 Tablespoons yellow onion, diced

1 Tablespoon flour, all-purpose

2 Tablespoons Chardonnay

3 Tablespoons Chicken broth

1/4 cup water

1/2 each bay leaf

5 Tablespoons Walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

1/4 cup cream

To taste salt and pepper

Directions

Place butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the onions and cover. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the onions are soft and cooked through. Add the flour, stir it in so the mixture is smooth and reduce the heat to medium –low. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, stirring every so often to make sure the flour mixture does not get too dark. A little brown is OK.

Remove the pan form the heat and add the chardonnay. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mix is smooth and return to the heat. Bring to a simmer, then add the chicken broth. Stir until smooth, then add the water. Once it comes to a simmer, add the bay leaf, walnuts and the cream. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a blender, then strain it through a fine strainer. Do not push the gritty ground walnuts through, rather tap the sides of the strainer and let as much of the liquid strain into a bowl as possible.

Return this mixture to the sauce pan and re-warm. Taste and add salt and pepper until you like the flavor.

Season the duck legs generously with salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Pat the legs dry, and place them skin side down in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Slowly cook them for approximately 10 minutes so the skin turns golden brown and some of the fat is rendered. Turn the legs and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the duck from the pan and pour out the duck fat, leaving 1 or 2 tablespoons. Add the onions and garlic. Stir, cover and cook for 4 minutes.

Add the pinot noir and turn the heat to medium-high. Reduce the wine to 1/4 the original amount. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves, bring to a simmer and arrange the duck legs in a single layer (if possible) in the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer very slowly for one hour or until the duck legs are tender but not falling apart.

Gently remove the duck from the pan and place in it in the bottom of a glass baking dish.

Skim the excess fat from the top of the broth. At this point, the broth should have a great duck flavor. Add the carrots, celery, thyme, potatoes & white beans. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked (15-20 minutes). Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Pour the broth and vegetables over the duck legs.

Ragu is best made earlier in the day or, even better, the day before. This allows the flavors to blossom. You should at least make this a few hours ahead for that same reason.

When it is time to serve, carefully remove the duck legs from the broth (which should have cooked down considerably) and pour/scrape all the ingredients (except the duck legs) into a sauce pot to reheat. Place the duck legs in a pre-heated 350 degree oven on a clean baking dish or pan and let the skin crisp (approximately 20-30 minutes).

Remove the thyme sprigs, spoon the ragu into pre-heated bowls, and place either a whole piece of duck leg or some of the meat of the leg in the center of each bowl. Drizzle each helping with extra virgin olive oil and pomegranate molasses*. Sprinkle generously with toasted walnuts.

Enjoy this delicious fall/winter dish with a glass of Holdredge Pinot Noir!

* Pomegranate molasses is available in Middle Eastern markets and on-line. I usually make my own by placing pomegranate juice in a saucepan and reducing it to a glaze (it is a great condiment that will last a long time refrigerated. It is wonderful drizzled on grilled chicken or lamb, or added to a salad dressing).

**Optional Serving Suggestion: Serve over Pappardelle Pasta with a shaving of Pecorino Cheese over the top.